'When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses not zebras' - the old adage is well-known to GPs but what should you do when faced with a zebra, not a horse? Consultant cardiologist Professor Robert Tulloh and GP Dr Louise Tulloh kick off our new series with their advice on how to catch Kawasaki disease in general practice.

'Fat tax' would have worked, says GP

The food industry is to blame for scaring the Government into shelving a proposed 'fat tax' according to Dr Martin Breach.

Public health minister Melanie Johnson told the House of Commons health select committee last week that a tax on fatty food was 'not likely' to form part of the Government's campaign to reduce obesity.

Dr Breach, a GP in Haydock, Merseyside, who proposed the tax at last year's BMA annual representatives meeting, said: 'They are faced with a powerful lobby who are terrified of this proposal because it will actually work. A lot of the food industry is dedicated to promoting unhealthy foods.'

Dr Breach said he favoured a carrot and stick approach to tackling obesity – using revenue from tax on unhealthy foods to subsidise healthy alternatives. He said the strategy would benefit lower socio-economic classes because of their sensitivity to price.